Thursday, February 17, 2011

THE MUSEUM SALUTES THE CITY OF SAN FERNANDO ON ITS 100th BIRTHDAY

DISCOVERING OUR VALLEY 2011

During the centennial year of the City of San Fernando, The Museum of the San Fernando Valley will be making a special effort to celebrate the city's birthday by acquiring and presenting memorabilia about it. Here's a fun start. A menu from the Alpine Haus restaurant - 2040 First Street - c. 1968. Gift to The Museum of the San Fernando Valley from Gary Fredburg 2011. (click on image to enlarge)

1 comment:

I grew up in the Alpine Haus. My parents loved to go to dinner dancing on weekends. My parents are German and El Salvadoran, so we would alternate between the Alpine Haus and the Acapulco which was down the street closer to Maclay St. I learned to dance there and even had a partner on occasion my size. He wore a brown suit with a striped tie and I wore an ankle length pale orange/peach dress with lacy, white, flowy, short sleeves. We were quite chic in the late 70's. I also learned to appreciate fine dining there. The classic German dishes were always delicious, but they made great lobster and other specialities too.

A little known fact is that Eddie and Alex Van Halen's father, Jon Van Halen, was the band leader there for many many years. When I was a little girl I used to help him blow up the balloons for the bandstand. He would always give me a few balloons to tie to my wrist, of course, and my parents always knew where I was because they'd see them bobbing up and down. He was an excellent clarinet player, and he and his band helped tune my ears for my love of music today.

My father actually made a few things for the Alpine Haus, including a lamp he got back when they closed. It hangs in our entry way today. Thanks for the good memories.